We will be celebrating International Women’s Day on Saturday 7th March 2026 at Blandford Corn Exchange, 19 Market Place, Blandford Forum, DT11 7AF (What3Words location: ///reporting.outfitter.boils) map here. The event is in conjunction with The Cedar Tree and will run from 10am to 5pm with a short lunch break. Tickets will be available shortly. We will not be using Eventbrite and there will be no fee to book tickets. We are looking into a means to sell physical tickets in Blandford but this is not yet confirmed.
Here’s is the schedule. Information about the participants and any other information will be updated as soon as possible. Tickets will be a simple option of Morning or Afternoon or All Day. Early Bird Prices will apply. Tea, coffee and cake will be on sale. If you’re staying all day, we won’t be providing lunch, so please bring your own.
Authors in the morning session will be bringing books to sell. Information about the participants can be found here.
SUMMARY (full details below)
| 9:50 | Welcome and Opening – Sarah Locke |
| 10:00-11:00 | Sue Barrow and Helen Matthews – Researching & Writing Human Trafficking of Women & Girls |
| 11:30-12:30 | Jane Duffus – Hidden from History… Until Now! |
| 12:30-1:15 | Break (but there will be a prompt start at 1.15) |
| 1.15-3.00 | Katy Cawkwell – Performance Storytelling |
| 3:15-4:00 | Rosie Mead – Limitless – Trust Your Intuition |
| 4:15-5:00 | Finola Brennan – Rest and Replenish |
9:50
Welcome and Introduction – Sarah Locke
10:00-11:00
RESEARCHING AND WRITING ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND GIRLS
Authors Sue Barrow (Sold) and Helen Matthews (Girl Out of Sight and The Girl in the Van) will discuss what sparked their desire to uncover and write about the murky world of human trafficking and modern slavery. They’ll talk about their research and why they believe fiction has a role in raising awareness of this hideous crime.
On a lighter note, they’ll reveal how writing about human trafficking has reunited them. Sue and Helen were friends at school in Cardiff but lost touch when they left Wales for university. So what was the clue that Sue spotted in Helen’s novel Girl Out of Sight that prompted her to get in contact?
11.30-12.30
HIDDEN FROM HISTORY… UNTIL NOW!
Join author Jane Duffus to celebrate some of the South West’s hidden sheroes from her three books in ‘The Women Who Built Bristol’ series and her new bookette ‘The Women Who Won The Vote’. Expect humour, passion and inspiration in equal measure as Jane brings these remarkable women to life. She uncovers the suffragists, campaigners, creators, engineers and everyday pioneers whose stories deserve to be told. (Photo credit @JonCraig_Photos)
12:30-1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 1:15 arrive for afternoon session to allow a prompt start
1.15-3.00 (with brief interval)
KATY CAWKWELL – PERFORMANCE STORYTELLING
An uplifting one-woman storytelling show exploring and celebrating female power through the mythological character of Lilith, the first woman to be thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Gliding like an owl, slithering like a snake, Lilith returns to remind us just what we are capable of. Viewed as a demon, worshipped as a goddess, adored as the Queen of Sheba, poster-girl for the feminist movement, Lilith reclaims the narrative and is dancing with us still, forever free.
Katy Cawkwell mixes myth from Arabia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia and Jewish tradition, with a dash of feminist flavouring and a large dollop of her own wild dreaming.
Age guidance: 16+
3.15-4.00
ROSIE MEAD – LIMITLESS: TRUST YOUR INTUITION. BREAK YOUR INNER CEILING
This empowering, interactive workshop is designed to help you reconnect with your intuition, challenge internal limits, and step into aligned confidence.
This session with Rosie Mead creates space for clarity, self-trust, and bold, aligned action. Rather than pushing or forcing, Limitless guides you to recognise intuition as a practical skill, understand how invisible ceilings are formed, and learn how to move beyond them in a grounded, sustainable way.
You won’t be the same person that enters the session!
4.15-5.00
REST AND REPLENISH WITH FINOLA BRENNAN
Coming home to Self through guided relaxation, Gong, Crystal and Tibetan Bowls.
An invitation to journey to the soft parts of yourself and let your tired bones rest.
In this beautiful experience you will be guided to a place of deep rest, where the whispers of your soul can be heard above the clamour of expectations. A place where seeds are sown and dreams may flourish. Finola fuses ancestral energies with the ancient modality of healing vibrations and breathwork to take you home to yourself.
We begin by making ourselves comfortable, this may be in a seated position or you may choose to lie down, please bring mats and cushions to enhance your experience.
Due to the powerful expression of Tibetan and Crystal bowls, and Gong sadly this session is not recommended if you are pregnant have a pacemaker or suffer from hypertension.
No experience is necessary, if you have any queries please contact Finola.
Blandford Literary Festival 